Speculum



p 7, 1949. J. P. PRICE ET AL 2, 83,233

SPEGULUM Filed June 7, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Sept. 27, 1%49 UNITE V 7 SPECULUM Johnnie Porter Price, Monticellm'and WilliainT. i

Stover, Little Rock, Ark.

Application June 7, 1948, Serial No. 31,546

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an improvement in rectal or vaginal speculums, and more particularly to an attachment therefor which will be used for removing smoke from the rectum or vagina while the act or" electrical conization or cauterization is being performed.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved speculum having means incorporated therewith for selectively blowing air into or for withdrawing air and smoke by suction from the vagina during the act of electrical conization or cauterization of the cervex.

Another object of the invention is to provide means incorporated with a speculum for blowing out and removing the smoke from a vagina while the act of electrical conization or cauterization is being performed, thereby permitting the clear and unobstructed view by the surgeon while operating, and furthermore doing away with the unpleasant old method of blowing the smoke from the vagina by air from the mouth of the surgeon.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved air blowing and suction attachment for speculums which will be highly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a speculum equipped with the improved air blowing and suction device forming the subject matter of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of a speculum showing the improved air blowing and suction tube installed therein.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is shown and provided a speculum generally designated by the reference numeral I having a rigid jaw 2 formed integrally with the handle 3, and a pivotally supported cooperating jaw ll mounted upon the bearing pins 6 at the outer ends of the forked portion 1 of the handle 8, which is disposed below the handle 3 and in contact therewith, and a lock bolt 9 and nut I0 is provided for holding 2 the handles 3 and 8 in the desired adjusted position. Thus far, the construction described is old in the surgical art, and is an implement found in practically all surgeon's equipment.

The subject matter of the instant invention comprises a small air tube ll disposed on the inside of the pivoted jaw 4, being welded thereto at points i2, or secured in any other desired manner. The upper end of the air tube 1 I is flattened out or expanded to form the fan-shape discharge nozzle l3 having an arcuate entrance Id.

The air tube 1 is bent inwardly at substantially right angles as at 15; and is bent again laterally at right angles as at IE to extend forwardly away from the speculum I. then bent downwardly as at H, and is connected with the forked tube section It! formed with the arms l9 and 20 for connection with an air blowin device (not shown) and with an air suction device (also not shown). The nut 2| is used to secure the forked tube section 3 to the lower end of the air tube H, so that when the speculum I is not in use the same may be disconnected and placed in the surgeon's instrument cabinet (not shown).

In operation, the speculum is used in the normal manner and the jaw 4 opened away from the fixed jaw 2 to hold the walls of the vagina properly dilated. As the surgeon operates by A performing the act of electrical conization or cauterization upon the cervex, the vagina will be filled with smoke, and to obtain a clear and unobstructed view while operating, it is only necessary to have either a slight stream or air blowing from a source of supply (not shown) through the air tube ll into the vagina to blow out the smoke or to have a suction device connected with the air tube II to suck the smoke from the vagina. In this manner, the surgeon will always have a clear and unobstructed view of the field of operation while having both hands free and accessible for manipulating the necessary surgical instruments.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been provided a highly efiicient form of speculum and attachment therefor which will materially aid in the performance of operations on the rectum and vagina.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described,

Finally, the tube II is V 3 it will be apparent that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The combination of a speculum having a pair of opposed dilating jaws pivotally connected adjacent their rearward ends, the inner opposed surfaces of said jaws being concave in transverse section and terminating in spoon-shaped forward portions; ,and a fluid conduit secured :to one of said jaws-and extending =longitudinally along the inner surface thereof for at least a major portion of the length of said surface, the rearward end of said conduit being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure or of suction and the forward end of said conduit 'abeingxiisposedcompletely within the concavity of said one jaw and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 430,350 McCully June 17, 1890 688,935 Crane Dec. 17, 1901 799,114 Tracey Sept. 12, 1905 23,409 Heuston June 12, 1906 952,523 Sawyer Dec. '7, 1909 Pope May 27, 1941 

